Forever and Always in the Afterlife
by braygirl
Summary: Two years ago a certain "ghost with the most" terrorized Lydia Deetz's family. Now he's back and he wants revenge! But he also needs her help. Will she help him? Find out!
1. The Dream

**Hey guys, this is my first fanfic, so be nice please. BUt constructive criticism still works :)**

**Disclaimer:I don't own Beetlejuice or any Beetlejuice related characters.**

_"The Dream"

Two years has passed since the treacherous 'ghost with the most' was seen terrorizing the Deetz family. It's been two long years since she's… _seen_ him…

_He he he…_

Lydia stirred in her sleep, as she tried to block the what, could have been horrible images of her father splattered like a water balloon all over her living room floor…

_Hahahhahaha…_

Every time she thought about him, she could feel him. _Sense_ him. Like he was near…

No. That's silly! He's on Saturn. He was eaten by a sandworm for crying out loud! There was no way he was coming back… he just couldn't. He _wouldn't._

Lydia tossed and turned once more, until she found a position that suited her enough to pass out.

_We've come for your daughter, chuck!_

No, put him down!

_You asked for it! AHAHAHAHA!_

No! NO! STOP! Why do you keep doing this?

Leave me alone!

_Never! You're MINE!_

I'll never belong to you!

Lydia ran around the corner of the stairs, when a slithery tail coiled up around her foot, causing her to fall flat on her face. She couldn't bare to look at the horrible mess that was painted all over her floor.

_Come to big papa!_

Lydia's fingernails clawed at the carpet as she was being dragged down the hallway and into her room.

No! No! _NO!_

Lydia's screams meant nothing to the malevolent poltergeist that was now taking hold of her against her will. He enjoyed every minute of it, disgustingly.

CHARLES! OH MY GOD! _CHARLES!_

AAAHHHHH!

_HAHAHAHAHA!_

Lydia could hear her step mother's blood curdling cries from upstairs. She knew her father's death had to be a gruesome sight.

Let me go! Let me go you bastard!

PLEASE!

_NO! YOU'RE MINE! You OWE me! You KNOW you owe me! You'll never escape, babes! HAHAHAHAHA!_

The ghost's cackling burned in her ears with pain. But nothing could be more painful than the sound of Delia's cries. Lydia wanted to get away. But with every excruciating second she laid there with agony, it was more second she wished she was closer to death.

_Come on babes, show big daddy whatcha got!_

Stop it! Please!

STOP!

_HAHAHAHAHA!_

_AHAHAHAHAHA!_

"NO!" Lydia screamed out loud, as she sat straight up in her bed. Her right hand clutched her chest, prepared to catch her heart about to burst out of her, as her left hand felt the cool drips of sweat coming off her forehead profusely.

Charles burst open her bedroom door, Delia quickly running up behind him, to check on their daughter. Her sudden screams awoke from their sleep. Charles, who claimed to be a lightweight, and Delia, who, well, didn't wake up for anything.

"Lydia, honey, are you ok?" Charles asked his daughter, unsure if he should step closer or not. Lydia took a pause, and a minute to respond.

"Um, yea. Dad, I'm fine. I-I'm sorry. I thought I… I saw a spider…" she lied through her teeth.

_Whadaya talkin about babes, you love spiders!_

Lydia quickly shuddered with an involuntary shiver.

Charles gave Lydia a confused look as he looked to his wife and laughed.

"Really Sweethear? Since when do you not like spiders?" him and Delia turned to leave when Lydia let out a small "eep"

"Wha-what did you say?" Lydia asked nervously. Her father just turned back around, confused once more.

"I said, sine when have you been afraid of spiders? I thought you loved them."

Lydia had to hold back her shrieks.

"You said that twice. I mean, you said that once already before I had asked you." Lydia said, sweating even more now.

"Um, no. No, I didn't. Are you sure you're okay?" Charles asked, now questioning his child's sanity.

"But just a second ago, didn't you-"

"Lydia dear, I think you were just having a bad…dream." Delia said, trying her best to sound comforting.

"I'll make you and appointment with your therapist tomorrow."

I'm not crazy…she thought. I'm not insane… I'm not!

_What's wrong with a little insanity? Come on kid, that's what you love best about me…_

"No, I hate you!" Lydia screamed once more, forgetting her parents were present.

Charles and Delia stood there, not understanding what Lydia was going through. She must be having a breakdown. Or worse. She could have been…possessed.

"Lydia, sweetheart." Delia said, stepping forward in front of Charles, and into Lydia's bedroom.

"Why don't I call Otho tomorrow." She said nervously trying to help with a smile.

"For _what_?" Lydia said, sitting up more, a little offended by her step mother.

"Lydia dear, I'm not going to lie. I feel you could be, well…helpless. And Otho can help."

"No way! I hate that stupid, pretentious, overweight freak! He doesn't know what the hell he's talking about, and frankly, I just don't trust him." Lydia spoke her mind, which never happens usually.

Delia just stood there frozen, surprised her step daughter had spoken back to her that way. Especially about some one as great and talented as Otho.

"Otho, is a wonderful, human being and I think—."

"Otho is rude and obnoxious, ok? And he's _not _coming near me. And I don't know what all the fuss is about anyway because I'm fine!"

_Ya got that right, toots! You are fine! You're fine, and you're mine! Hahahaha! _

Lydia closed her eyes, ignoring the horrible, yet familiar voice in her head.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." She lied again.

"I just need to get a goodnights sleep." She added, hoping this time they would take a hint and leave.

"Honey, please. One phone call and Otho will—."

"Ok, sweetheart, perhaps you need some rest too." Charles said reaching forward to pull his wife back through Lydia's bedroom door. As he began to shut the door, he waved to her goodnight and wished her a good nights sleep. She nodded as she watched her father close the door.

She sat in silence, still sitting straight up in her bed.

"He's not coming back…" she said aloud to herself.

"He's not coming back….he's _not_ coming back."

Lydia got up from her bed, and opened her bedroom door. She walked out in to the dark hallway, closing the door behind her softly. She crept her way silently up the stairs, up to the attic door. She knew the only two people, or close enough, that could help her resided behind that door.

She leaned in close to the door, tapped three times, and whispered both of her ghostly god-parents names.

"Barbara. Adam. Its Lydia. I…I need you." She pleaded with a soft tear running down her face.

The click of the attic door turned and Barbara greeted Lydia from the other side.

"Hey, pumpkin. What's wrong?" Barbara asked motherly. She motioned for her god daughter to come in. Adam, who was working on his model, turned to say hello as well.

"You guys, sit, please. I need to talk to you." She said sadly.

Barbara grabbed Adam's attention, and pulled him over to the dusty covered couch.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but…I'm…having some problems." She stuttered, afraid to utter the truth.

"Lydia, honey what are you talking about?" Barb asked confused.

"I-I, think… I think… _he's_ back."


	2. The Mirror

Thank you for those who read and reviewed! I hope you like chapter 2 just as much as chapter 1! Let me know what you guys think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Beetlejuice or any Beetlejuice related characters.

"The Mirror"

Number after number had been called. People, or what used to be, slowly exited the room one by one after their number was called. After they were called up, one of two things then happened. Either, they didn't return because they were properly taken cared of, or they were exercised, in which then, a loud, horrible screech could be heard by the other occupants of the waiting room. This was a fate, the alleged 'ghost with the most' hoped to avoid all together.

"I said, 9,455,751! 9,455,751? Who is number 9,455,751?" said an impatient voice coming from the front desk.

The poltergeist looked down at his tiny slip of paper, recognized his number and then sprang up from his seat, nearly knocking over the decapitated fellows' head off of the man next to him as he rushed by. Just before the receptionist could shut the door to the office, a distinct and filthy black boot caught the bottom edge of the door, preventing her from closing it completely.

"Hold it!" the ghost said. He pushed himself in through the office, to see a blue woman with pink hair, and large slits on her wrists, sitting down at her desk. The receptionist looked up to see the most hated, and _wanted_ man, in all of purgatory. And they finally had him. Her eyes widened when she immediately acknowledged the black and white striped suit, crazy blonde hair, and electric green eyes, with a stare that could kill.

"B-Bu-Bee—." She stammered.

"Ah, ah, ah. Nobody says the 'B' word." Beetlejuice smiled foully, with his crooked grin.

"Look, babes, I need you to do me a favor." He began. He set his foot up on the chair, elevating his knee. She was awfully close to Beetlejuice as he leaned in closer to her.

"B-, Mr. Juice? I highly doubt that anything your about to ask me could…help, your situation." She suggested nervously, pointing at him.

Beetlejuice looked down and realized how inappropriate the position of his leg was. He put brought his leg down briefly. Then replaced it two seconds later, smiling disgustingly.

"Well, ya know, if that's the kinda thing you do for favors, well then by all means." The receptionist grimaced in horror at his request and pushed small black button beneath her desk.

"Ms. Juno? I have a patient for you. I'm going to send him right up." She waited for a response.

"Bring him in." rasped Juno over the speaker that was well hidden on the wall above the desk.

"Have fun." The receptionist smiled sarcastically, sending him out of the office.

"Wait, baby, lets talk about this! I didn't mean—." He was then flown out of the receptionist's office, as loud and strong gust of wind had interrupted him and knocked him hard on his back. Everything went dark.

Beetlejuice pulled himself up slowly, and dusted himself off from the fall. Of course, Beetlejuice being Beetlejuice, and as dirty as he was, he could never really ever rid himself from _all_ that dust. Unless he ever took a shower… ewww…Beetlejuice shuddered in revolt.

_Showers_….he thought. The most horrible thing he could think of. Besides sandworms. _Sandworms_…. He shuddered this time in fear…

He looked around, in his dark surroundings. He couldn't see worth of five inches in front of him. Beetlejuice put his fingers together to snap the lights on. But before he could, the lights came on themselves.

The poltergeist found himself standing in another office. Only this time, it was much larger, and much more messier. Stacks, and stacks of papers were seen smothering the outer edges of another desk. More papers suffocated the desktop, spread out everywhere. Some of them had writing on them. Most of them were blank. Beetlejuice's eyes caught a particular set of papers, (this stack was four inches thick, and was neat) sitting in the corner of the desk. The stack was colored a pastel blue, and the one thing that interested him the most was the one and only word written in bold letters, centering the top page. The word read: **Beetlejuice**, with an underline.

The confused spirit bent over the desk to take a closer look at his name written on top of his stack. Just as he reached out his hand almost close enough to touch it, and all but too familiar voice stopped him, and spooked him in his tracks.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Said the grizzly voice.

"Geez!" Beetlejuice jumped in surprise, as he turned to look his former partner, Juno, in the face. She looked the same as she always did. Same short blonde hair, same business suit, same sarcastic frown, and oddly enough, the same cigarette stuck between her left index finger, middle finger and thumb. Beetlejuice then spoke after a moment of catching his non-breath.

"Juney! Huney, how are ya? Ya know? It _really_ has been ages." He smirked in a smart-allic manner.

"Don't play coy with me, Beetlejuice. I know why you're here, and so do you. The problem exactly is _what_ to do with you now." Juno replied returning to her untidy desk, picking up the blue stack of forms.

"Technically, I shouldn't even _be_ here, so really, I don't know why I'm here. Hell, why are _any_ of us here. Right?" Beetlejuice added smartly again, as he snorted confidently.

"Ah. There it is. The smart-ass Beetlejuice who knew how to work his way out of any situation. The top dog. The, 'ghost with the most', as you seem to introduce yourself." She played with his ego.

Beetlejuice nodded overconfidently now, toying with his jacket collar.

"Well, what can I say?" he laughed smugly.

"I have it all."

"Well, not anymore. At least, not according to the Neitherworld council. Your time is up Beetlejuice. And this time, no fake marriage will win you out of this one." She reminded him.

Beetlejuice was stunned, scared and speechless all at once. He couldn't believe what his old dead ears were hearing. Could he really be in trouble this time?

_Troubles my middle name!_ He thought.. _what could they possibly do?_

"So…uh, …." He stammered nervously.

"What, uh…exactly do they wana do?" he asked Juno carefully, slightly afraid of the outcome.

"Its not what they _want_ to do. Its what they're _going_ to do. And the only possible solution and suitable punishment is an overdue exorcism." She told him seriously. If there was a punishment that any ghost feared it was an old fashion exorcism.

Beetlejuice paused, then let out a laugh. Juno was confused.

"Ah, c'mon old June bug old girl. I get it. Call out the cameras, ok? Where is everyone? Come on out! I know this is a joke!" Beetlejuice walked around he office looking for the prankster behind this malicious act.

Juno remained where she was, in the same place behind her desk. She was only slightly amused by his actions.

As Beetlejuice continued to flip over chairs and look behind filing cabinets for his perpetrators, Juno finally spoke up to tell him the truth.

"It is, indeed, not a joke Beetlejuice. I'm sorry. But I myself, and the council don't believe you deserve another chance. In fact, you should have been exorcized years ago when we had the chance. But giving you the benefit of the doubt, thinking you've changed—."

"But Juney! I have changed, I mean c'mon. When was the last time I _really_ did any _hurtful_ damage?" Beetlejuice played his innocent act through Juno, but she didn't buy it.

"Just two years ago!" Juno looked up at Beetlejuice in shock and disbelief that he had forgotten why he was here in the first place already.

"Hey, listen to me. Ok? She wanted out just as bad as me. Plus, I did her a favor so really, you can't punish me for anything." He argued with a sarcastic grin.

"It doesn't matter. You violated your probation, and what's worse? You dragged the _living_ into this!"

"She dragged _herself_ into it." He snorted.

"I had _nothing_ to do with it." He waved his hands up in the air, as he plopped down in the chair in front of Juno's desk.

"As I've stated all ready, the council does not seem to agree." She added, picking up the blue stack.

"Beetlejuice, do you know, what this blue stack of forms are for?" she asked him curiously if he would know the horrible answer to that horrible question. Beetlejuice just sat there…memorizing that one lonely name on the top first piece of paper. He shook his head in silence, trying to remember where he had seen that color, and those forms before….

"This form, creates your future…or the lack there of…" she trailed off.

"I will fill this out, you will sign it, and it will be brought in front of the council for observation." She began scribbling down on the first blue piece of paper, when the poltergeist suddenly jumped up from his seat, his memory immediately being jogged of what that blue form represented.

"You cant…you just cant. I mean, so what? Yea, I'm a bad guy. But don't bad guys get slack too? D-do ya really wana just throw me in the slammer, and have me done away with?" he asked dramatically as his black and white suit changed into an orange prison jumpsuit, and his head was sticking through a window of bars he had conjured up.

"You _really_ don't want me to answer that." Juno said flatly, not looking up from her forms, in which the pen had been writing out his 'agreement' by itself.

The spirits clothes changed back and he slumped back down into the same chair, this time slightly depressed. He didn't wana be exorcized. No ghost ever wanted that. He liked being malevolent. Hell, he _loved_ it! He loved having unlimited power. He loved being the infamous, 'ghost with the most'. He didn't want to lose that… he would miss being the horrible smart-ass poltergeist everyone despised. At least _almost_ everyone… maybe… that was it!

Beetlejuice jumped up into the air, and hovered, as he danced in the atmosphere with joy.

"For someone who's getting exorcized, you seem to be in a good mood." Juno looked up at the happy ghost dancing in the air, as if he were celebrating something.

"That's just it, Juney." He continued dancing.

"I'm not gonna _be_ exorcized." He began slowing down his party for one, as he crept slowly back to the floor.

"And _you're_ gonna help me!" he pointed at Juno as she looked at him with a confused stare.

"Oh no. I'm done. I helped last time, and I shouldn't have even done it then. Sorry Beetlejuice, you're not going to win this time. You're _being_ exorcized." She exclaimed, standing up as if she were backing up her words.

Beetlejuice leaned over the desk, and locked eyes with his former partner.

"What if I made a deal with you." He continued to stare.

"Isn't that what your known for? Making invalid deals? Whatever it is, the answer is, no."

"Well," he started, as he clothes changed into a black two piece lawyers business suit.

"You might wana reconsider that." A big brown lawyer handbook suddenly appeared on top of Juno's desk. The book opened by itself, while its old pages started to flip without assistance.

"What are you getting at Beetlejuice, I'm getting impatient." She said indeed, losing her patients. The pages stopped flipping, and Beetlejuice used his right index finger to scan over the words to find what he was looking for.

"Read that Juney!" he exclaimed, as his finger stopped over the information he required.

"I told you once already Beetlejuice, and I'll keep repeating myself until you get it! I'm not going to assist you in whatever crazy, ludicrous scam you have going on now!" Juno restated, her agitation continuing to rise.

Beetlejuice continued to grin at his ex-partner malevolently, standing there in his dusty old black business suit, ( or what used to be), clutching on to the very page of that lawyers handbook, that would save his non life. And possibly his freedom. He flipped the book around on the desk, so Juno could read it properly. The poltergeist ran his finger over the particular section in the lower half of the page. As he did this, the area then became highlighted magically. His deep bright green eyes never left Juno's face. He wanted to capture every moment of her anger and fear, Beetlejuice could win. No. _Would_ win.

Juno's eyes scanned the highlighted piece over and over. With each word, her eyes grew and squinted in udder puzzlement. She couldn't believe what she was reading. It couldn't be. It just… it just couldn't…

After she completed the paragraph for the eleventh time, she looked up at her former partner and smiled disgustingly. She was devastated, shocked, and well, impressed all simultaneously. Juno never liked the way he always seemed to find a way to wiggle out of situations, even the stickiest of ones. But she had to hand it to that old dusty ghost. He did his homework, and now he was here to claim his reward.

"Well?" Beetlejuice smiled with ease. He knew what he had done. It was whether she'd approve it or not, was the next step. He had gotten this far. He hoped she wouldn't stand in his way now.

"Well, what?" she replied calm, as if she didn't read it.

"Well, whadya say? Do ya think I have a shot?" he asked, still smiling, with slight plea in his voice.

"Beetlejuice, your dead. She's not. You have no communication with her at all. I highly doubt you'll find a way to—."

"But I don't _need_ to find a way, Juney! That's what I have you for!" he pointed at her standing up from his chair now. He was trying to sell it. He was almost there.

_She's buying it_, he thought. _It's guaranteed to work!_

Juno closed her eyes in frustration. She didn't want to do this. But he wasn't giving her much choice.

"How do I know if I help you, that you won't run? I know you. Too well. You're not dumb. And neither am I."

"Um, ok." Beetlejuice chuckled.

"Maybe you don't understand. Ya see, I'm dead. Yea. And I want out. _You_ can't stand me. The _council_ can't stand me here. Hell! I can't stand me some days!". At that moment, Beetlejuice split into two separate ghosts, looking mirror image to other one. The two poltergeists then simultaneously looked at each other and started to bicker.

"Whadya mean? I'm not the bad one, you are! I hate you! No, _I _hate you! Stop repeating what I say!" they screamed. The original Beetlejuice then spoke alone.

"Ya see Juney, I'm _always_ arguin' with myself. Get it? Arguin' with myself? Ha haha!" Both ghosts started laughing, as the one Beetlejuice complimented the other one for the funny joke.

"Beetlejuice!" Juno yelled in frustration, once again.

"What?" They both turned to Juno at once.

"Not you, the other…. Oh will you just pull yourself together please so we can finish this! I'm getting very impatient, and I have other, better clients to deal with than you." She walked over to the filing cabinet to look for something.

Beetlejuice turned to look at himself, pulled himself closer by the arm next to him, until he heard a pop, and he was whole again.

Juno continued to dig in her filing cabinet until she found what she needed. A long, thin dressing mirror was then pulled carefully out from the bottom of the cabinet. It was square shaped, with what once was gold paint around the edge, and was completely covered in a thick layer of dust. But then again, what _wasn't_ in the afterlife?

Beetlejuice stepped closer, as he tried to figure out what Juno was up to.

"This," she said propping the mirror up on its tiny stand, she unfolded in the back.

"This will help you…find her." She hesitated in disbelief that she was even helping him to begin with.

Beetlejuice's green eyes widened with understanding.

"This…this will help me find Lydia?" he asked, as a smile snaked across his face.

Juno closed her eyes again in disappointment. She took a deep non-breath, releasing it slowly.

"Yes. It will." She said after her minute of pausing.

"But! It only works if _she_ lets it work." She finished.

Beetlejuice's eyes scanned over the mirror hungrily. He couldn't _wait_ to take this baby out.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yea, somethin' bout it workin', I don't care. As long as it gets me to her, I could care less." He smiled dangerously, never taking his eye sight off of the mirror.

"No. I said _she_ has to activate it, by letting you out."

"No problem! She did that once, she'll do it aga—."

"Its not that simple. She must say your name three times, yes. But first, she must say the chant."

"What chant?" he now looked up at her, confused.

Juno scribbled a small paragraph on a loose piece of paper, then handed it to him. It read:

_Out of sight, deathly weary,_

_Dark and hideous, oh so scary, _

_Ghost with the most, that I turn loose, _

_Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. _

The ghost laughed at this.

"That's all? Aw, c'mon babes, ya gotta do better than that." He smirked.

"Ok hot shot, you think it's easy then you go for it. Take it or leave it."

Beetlejuice gripped the sides of the mirror in lust.

"Guess what Lyds, daddy's commin' home."

18


	3. The Reflection

Thanks again for all those who read and reviewed. For those who didn't review but read my story anyway, thank you for taking the time! Here's Chapter 3!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beetlejuice. Only Lydia does. ;) **

"The Reflection"

Lydia Deetz's eyes fluttered in and out of consciousness, as she sat in her English class. She was so exhausted. All of those late night homework sessions were killing her. It was close to winter vacation and she still had tons and tons of work to accomplish by then. Not to mention, worrying about…._him_, didn't exactly help either. All of her friends had seemed to abandon her. Her parents thought she was becoming mentally insane, do to the fact that she 'talked to herself' at night. Her step-mother actually wanted to call Otho for help. _Otho_, she thought. Ha! He couldn't even change a tire properly, let alone help anyone else. He couldn't even help himself. Even Adam and Barbara thought she was acting slightly strange. At least, stranger than usual.

The bell rang five minutes ago, but Lydia still remained in her seat motionless. A loud sudden tap on the desk woke her up quickly as embarrassment washed over her, realizing she was the only one present, besides Ms. Horne. Lydia quickly scurried up out of her desk seat, grabbed her bag, and started for the door. But her tracks halted abruptly, as Ms. Horne called out for her.

_Uggh.. _she thought. _Why now? Why today?_

The young woman turned to face her teacher expressionless. She knew why she was about to get chewed out. But what could her excuse be?….

_Oh, there's this ghost that haunted my family and I and he hurt my two godparents, and tried to kill my father….its left me traumatized… so now I cant sleep… no big deal!… _yea right. There was no way.

"Miss Deetz? I have to say. I'm awfully worried about you. You're behavior in this classroom has been none other than strange, and unacceptable. You're constantly spacing out, falling asleep in class, and when I call on you, you don't know the answer to any of the questions I ask! I don't understand. Should I set up an appointment for a parent/teacher conference?"

_Great. Now she thinks I'm crazy!_

"Um, no. No, that's fine. I'm sorry Ms. Horne. I really am. I know, I haven't really been trying—."

_**Tell her why, babes… tell her why..**_

"As, hard," she finished, trying to ignore the voice distracting her in her head.

"I've been really tired lately, and…things aren't exactly easy at home right now…" she half lied. The only thing she couldn't stand was her step-mother Delia.

"I can set up an appointment no problem. I just don't want you to continue to behave this way in my classroom. The next step after a parent/teacher conference is a principal/teacher conference. I don't suppose you want that do you, Miss Deetz?" her elderly teacher asked looking down at her. Lydia felt like a midget compared to Ms. Horne. The older woman was at least six feet tall. Lydia was only a short five feet and two inches.

Lydia was silent. What could she say after that horrible suggestion Ms. Horne just made? She just stared blankly into Ms. Horne's gentle green eyes. They were just the right shade of green…a jade like green… they reminded her of someone…

_She's aging_, she thought, switching her view from her eyes to blonde, and gray, hair. It was tied up in a messy bun. But the green eyes distracted her from the teachers' hair once more.

She looked away quickly trying to shake the obscure thoughts running through her head. After a few moments of trying to collect herself, Lydia finally spoke.

"No, no I don't. I just…need a good nights sleep. I promise! I'll be fine afterwards. You'll see. I'll be as good as new." She picked up her bag, threw it over her shoulder, and exited the room as rapidly as she could. She couldn't be in that room with that woman another minute. Those eyes! Those familiar emerald eyes! _He's driving me crazy!_ She screamed in her head, as she continued her rapid walk out on to the school yard.

As Lydia passed through the town, her pace quickly decreased. Her mind was more at ease now, that she was out of that school and away from Ms. Horne. Despite that fact that she was some what calmer than she was earlier, Lydia she still wouldn't get any sleep tonight. At least, not any _dreamless_ sleep.

An hour had passed before she reached the giant, white-panel farmhouse on the hill, overlooking the entire town. Lydia didn't normally walk home. Her bike was her usual and _only _companion and friend home. But lately, she needed more time to herself. She needed more time to think. More time to be…_alone_.

"Please let the house be empty. Please Gods, let the house be empty." She said to herself out loud as she approached the back door of her home.

Lydia unlocked the back door, peering inside before entering. The lights were off. It was silent. Scary silent.

"Ah, good." Lydia let out a sigh of relief as she walked into the _almost_ empty house. Since Barbara and Adam shared the house with Lydia and her family, they never left. They really didn't have a need to. They loved their godchild, and panned to stay with her for all of their afterlife.

"Hey guys I'm home!" Lydia called up to the ghostly godparents. She carried herself and her things lazily up the stairs, and into her bedroom. When she got to her room, she threw her things over the bed, having them land perfectly on the floor and underneath her desk.

"Perfect shot!" said a sweet voice from behind. Lydia turned around startled to see Barbara smiling at her, standing there suddenly where no one was two seconds before.

"You know I don't get scared." Lydia smiled for the first time in three months. She immediately gave Barbara a hug in return.

"Then why did you jump?" Barbara teased.

"So did you have a better day today?" she asked releasing Lydia from the hug and moved the hair in her face behind her ear motherly.

"Yea, it was…ok." Lydia said, turning away from her ghostly godmother, to sit on the bed.

"Ok?"

"Yea, just ok", she lied looking down at her shoelaces.

"Lydia," Barbara said in a warning tone.

"_Ok_," Lydia responded annoyed.

"It _was_ ok, but then Ms. Horne got mad, because I fell asleep in class again." She said irritated, keeping her head down.

"Again? I thought we talked about this?" Barbara said concerned, as she sat down next to her god daughter on the bed.

She placed an arm around Lydia, and wrapped her in a hug.

"Sweetheart," she said letting Lydia go.

"We already told you. He can't come back."

"How I do know? I mean, like, for sure, how do I _really_ know?" Lydia asked now looking up at her god mother. Barbara could see the pain and fear in Lydia's eyes.

"I'm certain, ok? You just need to relax. And get some sleep soon, I don't wana hear about another complaint from your teacher ok? Adam and I are both getting very worried about you." She said motherly.

"I'm fine, I've just been…having nightmares and most of them are…about…_him_." She said nervously. Lydia never spoke about her problems. Adam and Barbara were the only ones she talked to. Gods knew she couldn't talk to her dad and stepmother. They both thought she was just crazy.

_Who cares if you're crazy! I'm crazy! That's why you love me!_

"Will you shut up! Leave me alone!" Lydia shouted at the voice in her head suddenly. Barbara just sat there, staring at her. She didn't know what to come of what just happened. But she didn't want her godchild to think she had gone insane.

"Lydia sweetie, why don't you take a nap?" Barbara suggested trying to ignore Lydia's outburst.

"I can't sleep. I just can't. If I sleep, _he'll_ be there." Lydia turned to Barbara as if she would have answers.

"No he wont, he's g—."

"No! You don't understand! He is _here!_ He is _back!_" Lydia stood up, shaking her hands in the air.

" I need peace, Barbara. For the first time in my life, I feel I have something to fear…" she stopped herself, as she sat back down on the bed.

"Oh honey, you can't keep thinking about him. If you keep him in your memory, he will, well, haunt you." She tried to reassure the young woman.

"Please, these last two years have been nothing _but_ one, big, memory." Lydia said somberly as she laid back flat on the bed, studying the popcorns on her ceiling.

"So what did Ms. Horne say?" Barbara asked changing the subject.

"Oh nothing important." Lydia shifted, sitting up to face Barbara.

"Just that, she might need to schedule a 'parent teacher conference'." She quoted with her hands.

"Well, what are you gonna do? Do you wana talk to your dad and Delia?"

"Oh Gods no! they already think I have enough problems as it is. Telling them would just make it worse." Lydia plopped back down flat on the bed.

"Well, if you need us, you know Adam and I are here for you." Barbara leaned over, kissed her god daughter on the forehead, and headed towards the door.

"Hey Barb?" Lydia stopped Barbara in her tracks, as she sat up.

"Yes?" she said turning around.

"Thanks." Lydia smiled at her ghostly godmother, feeling slightly better than she did before.

"Your welcome darling." She started to walk out, holding the door behind her, as she suddenly reopened it.

"Get some rest." She said in a serious tone with a smile. Barbara closed the door after saying good night.

Lydia let her back return to the bed. She was so drained. But there was no possibility of sleep tonight. Not with his voice lurking in her thoughts…

Beetlejuice?..

_Yes! that's it!_

Your name is Beetlejuice?..

_Yes! C'mon babes, say it one more time!_

I don't know..

_Come on kid! Just, say it!_

Maybe I should talk to Barbara…

_No, ya don't need ta talk ta Barbara, just say it!_

…And what if I don't?…

'_And what if I don't?' Look, ya want my help or not? _

_I wana get out, you wana get in? Say my name one more time, and you're just as good as in….just, say it!_

But what about Barb—..

_I said, FORGET Barbara…say my name!_

No, I…no. I can't..

_SAY IT!_

NO!

_SAAAY IIITTT!_

Lydia's eyes sprung open with fear, hoping she was just dreaming once more. Luckily for her, a dream was all it was…

Lydia was jolted so abruptly from her sleep, she never noticed how quickly she sat up.

"Oh my Gods, what am I thinking." Lydia giggled out loud to herself.

"Barb's right. He's not coming back." She got up from her bed, realized her school clothes were still on, (which meant she must have slept through dinner as well) and moved towards her dresser to find something suitable for bed.

She opened up the top drawer, pulled out a long black t-shirt, and tossed it gently on the bed. Lydia undressed, placed her dirty school clothes in the pile in front of her closet door on the floor, and slipped on the night shirt.

She began crawling into bed, when a strange scratching noise made her freeze. Lydia turned slowly, scanning the room behind her, noticing nothing different that could have produced that noise.

"No. It was them." She assured herself, climbing into bed for a third time…

Lydia closed her eyes, concentrating on her sweet sleep. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in over four months. It was all _his_ fault.

"He's not coming back. He's _not_ coming back…".

_He he he he…._

Lydia's eyes flung open once more.

"Please get out of my head…Please, Please!" she rolled over on her side, hoping she would fall asleep this time…

Ms. Horne began preparing herself for bed, as she looked in the mirror to check for any flaws, one last time. Despite the fact that she lived alone, the woman was a perfectionist. I must be ready in all situations, she thought.

Ms. Horne ran the thin bristled brush through her thick brown hair, noticing each silvery strand that danced in the light of her reflection.

"Oh dear, it's time to start dying those again," she said to the woman in the mirror.

Ms. Horne returned her brush to the vanity counter, said good night to the woman with the old brown hair, and aging blue eyes, and slipped into bed silently and softly to sleep.

10


End file.
